Ahmedabad : Tens of hundreds of vehicle owners across Gujarat heaved a sigh of relief as the technical officers of the Regional Transport Offices (RTOs), who had been on strike for two days, unanimously decided to call off their protest on Tuesday. The Technical Officers Association of the Motor Vehicles Department received government assurances to resolve their long-pending issues, leading to the strike’s withdrawal.
Disruptions Due to the Strike
The strike, which included a ‘No Login Day’ campaign on Monday and a planned mass casual leave (CL) protest on Tuesday, had severely impacted applicants who had scheduled appointments for driving tests, vehicle registrations, and other essential services. More than 400 applicants at the Ahmedabad RTO and over 200 at the Vastral RTO could not take their driving tests due to the closure of test tracks. The issue was widespread across the state, leaving thousands of applicants in distress.
Even as the strike continued, technical officers expressed their dissatisfaction by working with black armbands as a form of protest. On Monday, the ‘No Login Day’ campaign led to a complete shutdown of services, adding to the inconvenience of applicants. With the strike officially ending, operations resumed at RTO offices, allowing pending tests and services to be completed from 12 PM onwards on Tuesday.
Government’s Response and Agreement
A movement was initiated by RTO inspectors and assistant inspectors across Gujarat, including 25 from Rajkot, to push for various demands. These included completing probation periods and making officers permanent, granting promotions, and reinstating officers who had been suspended based on anonymous complaints.
The breakthrough came after a meeting at the Commissioner’s office, where officials from the Motor Vehicle Technical Officers Association engaged in discussions with government representatives. The positive approach from the government led to the resolution of the dispute and the subsequent withdrawal of the strike.
Heavy Disruptions Across Gujarat
The impact of the strike was felt across multiple cities, with Surat RTO remaining closed for one and a half days, affecting over 1,200 applicants. The testing track in Surat alone processes around 500 appointments daily, leaving more than 700 applicants stranded.
Other services such as vehicle registration, license issuance, and penalty payments were also halted, causing significant inconvenience. Many applicants expressed frustration over the disruption, as they had taken time off from work and businesses to complete their documentation.
With the strike officially over, services resumed in Vadodara RTO, where 179 appointments were scheduled for two-wheeler and four-wheeler driving tests on Tuesday. Tests began at noon, and applicants whose appointments were delayed due to the strike were accommodated later in the day.
Several affected individuals voiced their frustration. Rajivbhai Kahar, who had an appointment at the Vadodara RTO, shared his disappointment:
“I came to the Vadodara RTO, but my work could not be done. The employees were on strike, so everything was at a standstill. I left my business to come here, and now both my work and business have suffered.”
Similar complaints were heard from applicants in Rajkot, Surat, and Ahmedabad, where long queues formed outside RTO offices. With services resuming, applicants finally found some relief as they could proceed with their pending tasks.
